The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-02-02

eral Government except
| such as are Of general
utility.
The Jacksonian era, which by it's puri
| ty, its earnestness and its strength is til,
ideal era of Democracy, carried each ant
every one Of those principles in stric
practice. To the Jacksonian era thi
country owes its greatness; for true t,
the pledges of the grand party which
then had the helm of State, Jackson new
or swerved one instant from his line O
duty, and with an iron hand carried ou1
all its principles.
With one stroke, Jackson swept horde
of Office-holders who were fastening them
selves on the government aud who were
increasing their personal power and
wealth with the lengthening of their ten.
ure of office.
Next the United States bank had to 90.
Its hold OH the government and its reve-
nnes was SO great that it had grown
above all control and checks. It's treasu-
ry was the Government. Unchecked it
was carrying on its rottenness, covering
its nefarious steps by fresh villainies but
Jackson crushed it to the ground, and at
the unwilling of its populations and infa-
mics the country wondered at its own
gullibility and from thence accepted the
Democratic theory of: no revenues except
such as are necessary for the Government
and no currency except metallic one
and that to be without limits and to be
equal in value and extent to the require
ments of the country.
The Almighty never gave to any nation
such dowry in lands and wealth as He
gave to the United States therefore from
the earliest days the greedy eyes of the
vampires of States and commonwealth
were fastened on this Republic. jackson
and the Democracy frowned ON all efforts
to speculate on the domain and wealth of
the Republic. limiting the appropriations
to strictly national use. We could then
point with pride to our navy, and our
merchant ships covered the seas; the
army ever on duty patrolled thousands of
miles of frontiers, and the staff as well as
the officers lived in barracks; the citizen
and the emigrant had the whole breadth
OF the continent from which to select a
homestead, and the laborer accumulated
wealth and reached the highest stations
But now where are WEI Our navy is a
myth and cur merchant marine is thing
OF the past; the army is aburlesque, while
the staff and officers live in palaces; and
where is the public domain? 1t is en-
quilted i'll the pockets and held within the
hands OF few huge corporations and of a
ring OF governmental spectators. The
citizen and the emigrant might travel in
vain, for each available section is al
ready bartered.
That is the problem which faces the
Democratic party. Can it win, while it
shambles with the flesh pots of the par
ties it was reared to oppose and it is its
destiny to destroy! Once let office, pelf
and speculationsbe its aim, then will dis
cord split its ranks and defeat be the
result.
A Democracy can only be governed by
principles, for as it represents whole,
all legislation must be of general char
acter, therefore it admits of no compro-
misses nor middle measures. 1t must be
either that one thing or none.
If rotation in Office is fundamental
Democratic principle then all offices must
be periodically swept out for change.
lfpublic morals and public safety de-
mand revenue, for expenses only, then
all tariffs and revenues must be cut down
towards that end
If metallic currency is safeguard
against stock jobbing, speculation and
dishonesty, then it must he the standard
of the governmental issue and it must be
unlimited in its emission, for thereby will
the Legitimate issue of paper money be
curtailed.
If the public domain belongs to the peo-
pie, let it be for the people only, for its
subdivision will enhance it's value and in
crease the welfare of the people.
Those are the articles of faith which, in
years past did keep the Democratic party
at the helm of State, and when it swerved
from its line of duty it went down amidst
the flashes and thunders of civil war.
So it has been and so it will he may be
tomorrow, may be next year, but come it
will for fundamental truths and princi-
pies make parties, but parties only create
personalities. Therefore when party and
principle cease to walk together both
must fall, for the individual then takes
the lead and when he does tho State
ceases to exist.
While cropping under cloud no party
was better handled than the Democratic
party it reached power against an almost
invinclble opposition and with valor
true to its traditions. But shall it relax
now and swerve!
Therefore solid party and fixed prin-
ciples are Imperative. One thing can be
relied on as true and that is if the Demo-
cratic party must live, it can only exist
by being faithful to the tenets embodied
in its platforms ever since its birth, 9TH
erwise it must fall.
Now Has Faith.
had been troubled all winter with